Winter Park Man Faces Up To 15-year Term For Robbery

SANFORD — A Winter Park man is facing a sentence of up to 15 years in prison for the April robbery of a Casselberry convenience store.

A six-member jury deliberated more than two hours Friday night before finding Kenneth Edward Winne, 24, guilty of robbery. Winne will be sentenced March 4 by Circuit Judge Robert B. McGregor.

Winne was charged with the April 3 robbery of the Citgo gas station and convenience store at 2280 N. Semoran Blvd. Debra Dauven, the store cashier, testified that Winne was the man who threatened her with a knife shortly before 4 p.m. and demanded all the currency from the cash register.

Earlier in the day, Winne had been in the store twice, Dauven said.

Winne testified that he couldn't have been the robber because he had taken an overdose of drugs that day in a suicide attempt. He said he took more than 50 pills between 1 and 2 p.m. because he was depressed about losing his girlfriend and his job. Winne was admitted to a hospital around 6 p.m.

Winne said he did go to the Citgo around 2:30 p.m., bought a beer and returned home. He said the pills were taking effect at that time.

Winne said to the best of his knowledge, he did not commit the crime. ''I refuse to believe I could have done it,'' he testified.